Samurai Jack and the Quest of the Broken Blade
by Thegreatestthereeverwillbe
Summary: Samurai Jack must fend off the forces of Aku after his sword is broken. Will he be able to repair it? Will he have to make do without it? Is the impossible quest doomed to fail?


**Samurai Jack and the Quest of the Broken Blade**

**Adapted into text by Mohamed Jalal**

Based on the Comic of the same name by IDW Publishing

A great whiff of dust filled the lungs of an old seer. The seer sat quietly before his tent amidst a great dust storm. He was accustomed to this, for Aku's provisions never accounted for the likes of him. Just as his fathers before him lived in hardship, and as his sons shall after him. The seer meditated silently, feeling the vibrations beneath him. 'Mating' he thought. 'It is mating season for the Great Scorpions'. But this was no mating ritual. The ground before the seer burst open, and a great cataclysm of dust and fire erupted from beneath him. The seer's lungs were now filled with ash, only worsening his sickly cough, and unbalancing his crooked walk further. After the ash settled, and the dust escaped the seer's eyes, he saw that which he dreamed of days prior. A Great Scorpion, crying in pain as a humanoid figure dangled from its side. There appeared to be a great hole on the side of the beast were the man dangled, perhaps a result of their excavation from beneath the ground, or perhaps a result of the combat they were clearly engaged in. The scorpion, while moaning in agony, raised its stinger and swung at the parasite that threatened its very existence, but the parasite was too nimble, it jumped from one side of its body to a lower point on the other side, slicing open a hole in it twice the size of the other and dangling from it. The stinger, moving too quickly for the scorpion to slow, smacked the already existing wound it had on its side, fatally injuring itself. The scorpion gave a much louder howl, a howl of grief and dismay upon realizing what it had done to itself. The warrior jumped up to the scorpion's head, swung its blade ever so gracefully, and decapitated its head from its shoulder's swiftly and mercifully preventing it from a death that would have taken six hours or more, the same death the scorpion tried to provide it with. The warrior landed at ground level.

'It cannot be…' said the seer quietly. Before him stood a man with a great scar on his back. He wore a white robe and had a black sheath. He wore wooden sandals and had long onyx hair that was partially undone, but was taken care off quickly upon landing. It was him. The man turned around to confirm the seer's surprise. It was Samurai Jack. He walked over towards the seer, past the poisonous swamp that inhabited more of those beasts that separated him from the north. He had a look of determination on his face. He cared not from the wound that made a home on his back, his back was accustomed to this. His body was muscular, his shoulders broad, but nothing in his physical stature was as strong as his will. This man's will was indomitable. He was not the strongest man in the realm, nor was he the fastest, nor the nimblest, but he was the most determined. Where other men would surrender, he would fight. Where other men would flee, he would persist, for he was driven by a noble quest of epic proportions.

'Samurai! Samurai! Wait!' cried the seer. The Samurai heeded his call and stood before him. 'Samurai-'the seer gasped for air as he coughed. He was a wrinkled old goblin of a man, shorter than the smallest of chairs. 'Samurai, you are _the_ samurai yes?' Jack looked into his eyes and said dominantly and proudly 'They call me Jack.' 'So it is true…Samurai Jack.' The Samurai remained motionless, but cautious, for many men had tried to ease him into a trap this way in the past. 'Come, quickly, we have not much time.' The seer leaded the samurai into his tent where a collection of manuscripts and codex made the carpet. 'Where is it.. Where is it…. AH! Yes, here it is. The ancient codex of Bol Ganzut. According to historian Davos Blintcher who studied the times of Ulnok the wise, lord of these swamps, there is an eclipse that occurs every 267 millennia that affects this land particularly… oddly.' The samurai maintained his silence, despite his curiosity. 'Erm.. you see-' the seer coughed. 'Ulnok the wise was of a barbarian people that cared not for his interests in philosophy and astronomy. In fact, he was assassinated for that purpose, but not before he endorsed the works of an alchemist by the name of Fulgoth Sandrapes-'the seer coughed again. 'Fulgoth, with funding from Ulnok released a thesis, you see, that stated that passage through time was indeed possible!' the samurai raised his brow as the seer coughed again. 'Excuse me, but you see Samurai, according to this thesis, if a man were to combine seven cloves of garlic, Fluctaine Mustrade, Blugoth Fructose, and an artifact of godly enchantment, while blessing them with the light of the eclipse, this man would be able to create a time portal!' The samurai did not believe him in the slightest, but this was a lead, he thought. The samurai had never heard of this seer, or of these characters, but this was the first time he had heard of a time portal in over a year. He simply had to do this, for the slight, remote, improbable chance, that this may lead him to his rightful time. 'Do you have these artifacts?' asked the samurai. 'All but-'the seer coughed a cough that appeared to rip out his throat. 'Are you al-''never mind me Samurai, I have all the necessary items, except one. Your sword.' 'What?' 'Your sword, samurai. For it is known that no artifact has been blessed quite like your sword has. For can anything else pierce the heart of pure evil like your sword can?' 'No.' 'Precisely. Quickly then, we have not much time. The Eclipse is tonight!' The samurai drew his blade and said 'I am ready.' 'Not here samu-' the seer coughed again. 'Not-Not here. The ritual must be carried out at the most divine place in the area- The Temple of Ulnok'. The Samurai sheathed his sword and prepared for the road ahead, only to find that the seer had gathered his belongings and proceeded to hobble around behind in on a half broken walking stick. 'Please, allow me to secure the area forth and then I can bring you to the temple. I do not know what dangers await us on the road forth.' 'You do not understand, samurai. Once one abandons the roads forth, the beasts regroup.' 'What?' 'Aku knows of the power of this temple, and has placed a curse upon it to prevent anyone from reaching the temple.' 'Aku!' 'Yes, Samurai. I must accompany you on this perilous journey. It is the burden of carrying a seer like me that Aku believes will prevent a man from achieving the temple's power. But as I have come to realize, you are no ordinary man.' 'Very well.' Agreed the samurai. 'But you cannot walk behind me, seer. Allow me to carry you.' 'Wha-' he coughed. 'You cannot carry me!' But as the seer regrouped the samurai lifted the heavy sack filled with all the necessary runes, chemicals, staves, herbs, and garlic required to complete the ritual. 'If you must..' the seer agreed reluctantly only to be whisked away by the samurai.

Past canyons, through forests, and under bridges they walked. Under the passage of an endless stream of clouds they carried forwards. The dust had settled and the birds returned to the skies above. The samurai climbed, swam, ran, and crawled himself and the seer through the treacherous journey. It had been four hours since the dawn when he encountered the seer. His stomach demanded a meal, and just then the samurai spotted a goat. A tasty meal for two he thought. 'There will be plenty of time to feast later on, as for now we must reach the temple before the eclipse sets in.' he thought. The samurai continued forward until he reached a plateau. He began walking up the plateau, but upon almost reaching the summit he heard an unsettling noise. Speech in a demonic language. He whisked himself and the seer beneath the tip of the hill. 'Do not make a sound.' Whispered the samurai as he crawled silently towards the top of the obstacle. He did not make a sound. The Samurai scouted for the source of the noise only to find a terrifying beast on the other slope of the hill.

Half man- half beast. It had the legs and torso of a man capable of defeating Jack in single combat, but its head… its head was something from beyond the veil that separated monster from man. It had a bony, skull like exterior. It had horns capable of piercing the thickest walls. Red eyes that could extinguish or ignite the depths of a man's soul. It has sharp teeth that thirsted from the tender meats of men and sheep alike. It wore the spoils of the men that had unfortunately strayed into its path. A rugged cape of silver and silk bearing the insignia of a lost legion. It bore the plateskirt of a warrior from days long past. Jack recognized the symbol on the skirt. It was from a nation from the distant past. A nation his empire traded with very commonly and pleasantly. He could not remember the name, after being in the future for the years he had been, but he recognized the name. Clearly this was an ancient, and fearsome beast. The beast also wielded two weapons, a scimitar and a broadsword. The scimitar was made of runite, a rare steel that can cut through metal and flesh alike. The broadsword was made of carbon steel, stronger than iron, but weaker than steel, yet still capable of killing a man with a single strike. The beast sensed Jack's presence, and so Jack hid as it sniffed. The perceptive Jack, however, heard the distinct sound of a husk of wind collecting under what sounded like a leathery chute. The beast was winged! Armored, armed, and winged! Furthermore, it had arm braces made of velvet steel, they would crack if smacked against a wall, but they would crack a man's jaw in seven separate places with a single whack. As for the beast's torso, it was empty. Foolish as it was, it reveals its vital organs in order to be light weighted enough to fly, rather than risking a set of limbs by wearing lighter armor.

Jack anxiously waited to hear the sound of wings retreating into its back. Instead, he heard the sickening sound of a dying man coughing his lungs out. Again. Before he could silence him the beast screeched loudly and set upon Jack from the sky itself. Jack was caught off guard as the beast stood atop the plateau menacingly staring at Jack. Jack remained still, hoping it was one of those beasts that relied on sudden movements. Instead, a sudden jerk of the beast's left arm swung its scimitar before Jack's head. Jack quickly ducked lower, but his bun did not survive the smack. His hair came completely undone, and the sound of the beast relished in the glory of doing damage to Samurai Jack. Jack stood up, frowning angrily and staring deathly at the beast. The beast gave a grin as the samurai swung his sword across the belly of the beast, but the beast was nimble, as it jumped high into the air and plunged down against Jack with its broadsword, but jack stepped back, avoiding the attack and aggravating the beast. The beast stepped forth and attacked with scimitar, but Jack moved to the side and swung his sword again. This time, the sword was blocked by the broadsword, and as they were locked in combat, the beast cleverly struck Jack's belly with its scimitar. Jack examined the wound, giving the beast enough time to kick Jack off the plateau. Now the beast looked towards the seer, who in fright was coughing frantically. Jack was down on the ground. His chest had three scars across it, his hair was completely undone, his eyes closed, his clothes tattered, but his will indomitable. Jack sat up, only to find the beast savoring the meal it would make of the seer. Seeing that the beast was preoccupied, Jack snuck behind it and attacked with all his might the exposed torso of the beast. The beast shrieked in agony and swung the scimitar from the seer towards jack's head, but he had ducked again. Jack then jumped up and attacked the demon's broadsword upon his descent which it used to shield it's own head from the very same blow. The attack was so catastrophic that the blade shattered, rendering this a more even fight: one sword each. The demon, in rage, squared off against the samurai, each circling the other. The demon charged at Jack, Jack charged at the demon and each time one swung his weapon, the other protected himself with their own weapon. The battle went on for several minutes before Jack stood panting, but prepared. The demon was slightly tired, but could continue. Upon catching its breath, the demon flew up into the sky until it was but a fraction of the gigantic size it was as it stood. Jack did not understand what was occurring. He lowered his sword but did not sheathe it as he scoured the skies in search of it. Upon reaching a sufficiently high altitude, perhaps in the stratosphere itself, the demon closed its wings and hurdled downwards towards Jack. Seconds passed as the demon continued accelerating until it could accelerate no more. Jack then saw a great flash of light skimming through the sky. 'That-'the seer coughed must be the comet of Auxilia! We must be close!' Jack raised his weapon and said 'That is no comet.' The flame came closer, and closer towards Jack, as if it was a missile sent by Aku himself. Jack timed his strike carefully, and executed it just as flawlessly. A loud, explosive, thud filled the air when his blade made contact with the flame that was the demon. The explosion flung Jack several tens of meters away, worse can be said of the small seer whose saving grace was a tree he smacked four meters away. Jack was not so lucky. He landed against the slopes of a mountain, smacking it with such force that the shape of his body made a crevice in the mountain. His robe, despite its abysmally tattered condition, was still intact. His skin, was barely visible however. Blood oozed from every wound and orifice. He was in great pain. Such pain that he could not rise from his position. In the distance, the shape of the demon could be made out. The shape grew bigger, and bigger, until the damage Jack's attack did to it became most visible. Its left arm was severed, as was its right leg. Its right arm was clearly wounded, but still functioning. Its horns were no more. Its belly was scarred from top to bottom. The demon could barely move, but realized its own attack was not a failure given that Jack could not move at all. It came closer, and closer towards Jack's motionless body. It had lost its scimitar, just as it had lost its broad sword, but its claws were sharp, and its teeth sharper. Finally, Jack's body was covered in shadow. The beast rose its right arm slowly, because of the pain, and allowed it to collapse with its long claws drawn against Jack. Jack felt his pain increase, but was helpless to resist. Again, the beast rose its arm to strike Jack, and Jack felt his heart pound harder when the claws struck again. The beast rose its arm for the third time, panting this time, barely able to raise its arm from the pain. Jack realized the opportunity and barely managed to open his eyes to search for his sword that he found next to his leg. He tried to drag the sword towards him, but he could barely move his arms, so he used his legs. Slowly the sword came closer to his arm, and then closer to his hand. The demon realized this, and so the race began: who would kill the other first? The demon, however, was not as foolish as it had seemed. It deliberately allowed itself to collapse upon Jack's torso, preventing him from easily moving his legs, as if it was easy before. Jack was pinned. The demon was struggling to mount the samurai in order to finally gnaw at his flesh. The sword was beyond reach. Jack was helpless, he tried to kick but his legs would not answer. He tried to squirm but his arms were hesitant. The beast had its neck drawn and it plunged onto Jack, gnawing through Jack's bones. Its head turned right with Jack's arm in its razor sharp teeth, then left, then right again. It was trying to kill him through pain! The sadistic creature! Jack screamed in agony and pain, knowing that this was how he would die. Suddenly the pain stopped. The screaming stopped. The agony stopped. Samurai Jack, he thought, was dead. In reality, Jack was only nearly dead. For it was the seer who reached to the sword as the demon gnawed through Jack's arm, and plunged it through the beast's heart. The seer dragged the demon's corpse of off Jack's.

'Samurai! Samurai!' he coughed. There was no response. There was only blood and silence. The seer now faced a choice: to sacrifice the Togas Root inside of his sack to save Jack or to take the sword and send Jack back in time, in the hope that his alternation of space and time would heal the samurai's bones. He deemed the latter option too risky as he sacrificed a herb necessary for the completion of the ritual to save the samurai. Soon his wounds began to disappear, and his consciousness began to regroup. His eyes slowly opened, only to find the seer kneeling behind his body.

'Ah! Hahah! I knew you'd come back! Ahahah!' said the seer. 'Where… where am I?' 'You, my friend are on the slopes of Mt. Farankas. It is in these halls that the Temple of Ulnok is found.' The Samurai stood up, leaving whatever was left of the top half of his attire where it fell. His chest was scarred from the neck down. His hair covered the cars on his upper back and upper torso, however, but upon his fixture of it a great number of scars were visible. He groaned in pain, but managed to stand. 'The Demon.' Jack said as he took a step forward almost tumbling. 'Enough Enough Samurai' the seer coughed 'It is done. The Demon has been dealt with.' 'H-how!?' 'The sword, samurai, I plunged the sword into the beast as it gnawed into your arm!' Jack observed his arm, noticing no marks of gnawing nor any holes, only scars. 'You see' the seer coughed 'I fed you a weed required for the spell as you lay on the ground. The weed is the reason you yet live.' The Samurai was grateful but annoyed. Why would this seer prioritize him over the ritual required to save the lands from Aku's treachery? Jack looked at the seer and said: 'Why? Why would you do something so… foolish? Aku is weak. He has always been weak.' The seer did not take too kindly to Jack's words 'Any man with my blade can destroy the demon. Why would you save me?' 'Because there are no warriors like you. No warriors can withstand the might of Constantine's forces and live to tell the tale, let alone a single warrior.' Jack was flattered, but remained silent. 'Now, we must climb.' Said the seer as he leapt onto Jack's back. Jack faced the mountain and proceeded to climb. At first his muscles ached as he exhausted them, but eventually he stopped feeling it, mostly due to the effective nature of the herb. Jack climbed for what seemed like an eternity. The seer began several philosophical debates as they climbed

'Samurai…'

'Yes.'

'How do you know that, if this spell were to work…'

'Yes.'

'How do you know that it would take you back to your own time?'

'I do not. I simply trust in your skill.'

'But we are but strangers?'

'In this age, the word stranger is synonymous with friend, for during my years of travel here all I have seen are strangers and enemies. Never friends.'

'But we have heard of the Scotsman have we not?'

'He is an acquaintance. I do not trust him. He is competitive, he is arrogant, he is hasty, and he can be a liability.'

'But did you not embark on several quests together.'

'I have but one quest seer. All other actions merely tend towards it.'

'But did you not save his woman from the Castle of Bone?'

'I would do the same for any man, even you seer. It is the code of Samurai.'

The climb continued further into the clouds.

'Samurai…;

'Yes.'

'Do you believe in the string theory?

'What?'

'The string theory. It is a theory that states that there may be alternate realities other than our own.'

'What do you mean?'

'I mean that there may be another dimension in which you are not a Samurai, or another dimension in which Aku never found himself in Earth, or another reality in which you were never flung into the distant future.'

'That is preposterous. Time is one. There is only a past, a present, and a future. It is a matter of when I belong, seer, not a matter of when and where and how.'

The seer coughed heavily as they climbed up to higher altitudes.

There was a silence.

'Do you still have the vial?'

'Yes' coughed the seer

'Does it still contain the demon's blood?'

'Yes.'

'Are you sure it can substitute for the herb that I have consumed?'

' I theorize that simply because you have consumed the herb and you will be a part of the ritual, the herb is here in essence.'

Jack nodded in confirmation as his nipples hardened due to the cold. The wind messed his hair, but it still retained its shape, though some part of it waved north as a flag would.

'Isn't it odd we have not run into any beasts yet, Samurai?'

'I think the demon was enough. Perhaps Aku placed too much faith in its abilities.'

'I would say he placed, just the right amount Samurai.'

'We shall see.'

The climb neared an end. The blue stones of the mountain were running out. Finally, Jack grasped a white fistful of snow as he reached the sumit of the mountain. There he saw a great door surrounded by statues. He walked towards the door with the seer still on his back. Upon reaching the door he examined the statues.

'What are these carvings on the wall? And these statues.'

Jack was looking at a great epic that found its pages on this wall, surrounded by stone guards.

The seer took a deep breath as he coughed out this story

'Legend has it that the great lord Ulnok the Wise resided atop this mountain with his people. He inherited these lands from his father Dushrag the Bloodthristy, who lead his people into wars that did not end only with slaughter of the enemy in their entirety. No men, women, children, livestock, plants, fish, nothing was spared. It was very… Aku-like.'

Jack sympathized with the victims he could not save.

'Upon his death, he failed to name a successor. The clan was divided. Some supported Dulgoth the Merciless' bid to power, being the first born son of Dushrag's second wife, and himself being so much like his father in more than just looks. Others supported Ulnok, the first born son of Dushrag's first wife.'

'These people sound most barbaric.'

'That is what Ulnok fought to change. Ulnok, although from barbrain roots, Ulnok had modern ideas. He sought to refocus the clan's objectives towards agriculture, education, philosophy, simply enriching their own knowledge and understanding of things while increasing efficiency as a whole.'

'Were they men?' Jack asked.

'I.. do not know… some say that they were beasts of hair and claws, others say that they were simply savage men… It is up to your own interpretation.'

'Judging by the markings on these statues, I would argue that they are wolfmen.'

'Wolfmen?'

'Yes. It would appear here that they were heavily reliant on their noses, given that it is written here in hieroglyphs that these were the sons of Anubis, God of death and mummification.'

'Hmmm… it does correlate with the myth that states that Ulnok's body is preserved within this tomb… Wait since when did you read hieroglyphs?'

'It is a long story.'

'As I was saying, Ulnok and his supporters challenged Dulgoth and his supporters for the right to rule. Dulgoth declared civil war. He mobilized his armies and marched on his brother's lands. His brother, however, vacated the lands of all life, including plants and livestock. Dulgoth believed his brother had fleeed, and returned to the throne room as an emperor, only to find his brother seated at the throne. Blinded with rage, Dulgoth threw a dagger at him, piercing the heart of an imposter. It was in fact, Dulgoth's adviser, taken captive when Dulgoth left the lands to fight Ulnok. As Dulgoth mourned his adviser, Ulnok stepped out from the shadows with a small band of men with spears and swords. He offered him a choice, either to fight or negotiate. Dulgoth tried to summon his men to fight alongside him, but was silenced before they could heed his call. He was presented as a suicide, having fallen for the ruse set in place of Ulnok, who had cleaverly evaded war. Some loyalists stood their ground, but Ulnok banished them from his lands. These would go on to form what is now Ancient Egypt, if your theory is correct, for we have no records of where they were banished to, but I would imagine it would be a place far away, such as Egypt. And so begins the reign of Ulnok the wise. Ulnok fathered no children, instead it is believed that he was assassinated by one such loyalist who evaded capture, or perhaps an assassin or spy of some sort. Regardless of how he died, it is believed that Ulnok fathered no sons because he was too preoccupied with one particular sapphire that his court wizard enchanted for him.'

'Fulgoth?'

'Precisely. He believed that if he were to father sons, those sons would ruin what he had created, but he was also not willing to simply seal off his people behind a stone door and leave them to starve to death. Therefore, Ulnok decided that the only way he could ensure that his people would not falter is if he controlled them from beyond the grave. The answer to this dilemma, according to legend mind you, is this gem. Upon the nearing of his death, he would not part from this enchanted Gem which he wore as a necklace. Perhaps it is the gem that warned him of the approach of his death. Some say that the Gem was enchanted to control the flow of time. It is unknown if Ulnok succeeded, or if his civilization was destroyed, but that is irrelevant. The reason we are here, Samurai, is to open the sealed doors of this temple, and see if this gem has the power to send you back to your own time.'

'Then let us begin.'

The seer sat at the gates and lit a fire. He placed a pot over the fire and placed the ingredients into the fire while reciting words that were believed to be able to open the sealed door. Jack stood watch behind the seer, but even he could not see what lurked in the shadows. The seer held back his cough as he said the words, for one cough could potentially disrupt the process. The eclipse was approaching. The hour was at hand.

'Samurai….' The seer monotonously called. 'Give me the sword….'

'What?'

'Do not question me now.'

Jack reluctantly relinquished his sword, and the seer placed the blade last used to slay the demon into the fire. The flame exploded with vibrant colors. Green, purple, blue, red, yellow, black, orange, until finally subsiding into ash and ruble. The seer coughed his way out of the smoke to finally reveal a hall where the door once stood. The Samurai stood up from beneath the snow and looked behind him to delightfully see a blue gem whose rays of light reflected in all directions.

'The gem!' Jack exclaimed as he redid his hair which retained its shape but was only partially undone. Jack walked over to congratulate the seer on his achievement. He then walked over to the sword. He closed his eyes just before he was about to reach for the sword and said: 'At long last, my quest has ended.'

As he reached down for his blade, he was surprised to be met with another blade slashing his back. A new day, a new scar. Jack collapsed to the side as blood began to ooze from his back. He struggled to stand as he tried to realize what was going on. By the time he turned around he saw a man in black garments man handling the seer.

'You have exhausted your usefulness.'

The man flung the seer into the air and sliced him in half.

'NO!' cried the samurai.

Jack rose to his feet and reached for the sword which was kicked away by the man in the black garments as he separated Jack from his blade by placing his own blade at Jack's throat.

'Samurai Jack.'

The sinister voice said.

' I thought I might find you here.'

Jack looked at him angrily.

'Finally, you have found a way to return to your own time and undo Aku's evil.'

Jack remained silent, analyzing the situation.

'But unfortunately, that is not in my interest. It is, however, in my interest to sell this gem…. To Aku!'

'AKU!' Jack exclaimed as he punched the man in the face and raced towards his sword.

The man in the black garments allowed him to reach his sword, not out of chivalry, but out of sadism.

'I almost though you'd let me win. Can't we be business men about this?'

Jack looked at him angrily before jumping into the air, screaming loudly upon his descent, bent on ending this man's existence. The man blocked his attack with his own sword.

'Did you really think that would work on me?' the man swung his sword, but jack evaded his strike. He swung again, and Jack evaded that too. He swung a third time, but this time Jack struck his left arm. Almost instantly the man struck Jack's chest, kicked him in the stomach, struck his right arm thrice, Struck his neck once, head-butted him, then threw him onto the far wall.'

After a moment of intense breathing, the man laughed upon seeing Jack standing up from the hole he had made in stone with his own body. Jack lunged at him with his sword, but the man evaded his strike and struck him again in the back. Jack angrily attacked the man several times, each time the man blocked until finally Jack struck the man's left leg. Similarly released a frenzy of attacks, but Jack blocked only two of them before being struck over thirty times and finding himself buried in snow. The man then walked towards the gem and claimed it as his own and walked towards the samurai who stood in the snow, shirtless and defenseless, his vision impaired by the snowfall, and his bones stiff of the cold.

'Now, allow me to end your misery.'

The man lifted his sword, but Jack kicked him back, realizing his quest was in jeopardy. He attacked him with all his might, releasing his own flurry of attacks, a flurry of attacks that would not be matched. The man fell backwards, his garments tattered, his breath bated, and his will compromised. Jack reached for the gem, but the man mounted his back, and unsheathed his hidden blade in an attempt to swiftly end Jack's life. He held onto Jack's long black hair for dear life, but Jack slammed him back onto the ground, while grasping the gem. Jack raised his sword, and prepared to kill the man who almost killed the fate of his people, the man who killed the seer. The man, with whatever strength he had left, tripped Jack and crawled over to where he stood. Jack expected him to try and kill him, but instead the man realized that even if he could steal the gem, he would not survive the journey back down the mountain. Instead he scrambled on the floor in search of the jewel. While Jack lay down on the ground, the man kicked him in the ribs, the left ribs, as a sort of vengeance for when Jack broke his ribs when he smacked him onto the ground. Jack struggled to his feet only to find that the man was several meters away from him, atop a set of stairs that lead to the door that lead to the gem. 'If I cannot have this gem, no one can!' cried the man as he threw the gem down from the steps. Jack's adrenaline pumped as he jumped to the gem, diving through the air, gliding like a phoenix trying to defend its child, but his leap was insufficient. His knees bled as they succumbed to gravity, scraping the stone beneath him. Jack heard a shattering sound, then a loud thud. The thud was that of the man collapsing onto the floor, dead. The shattering was the sound of Jack's hopes and dreams gone. But instantly after that a loud roar was heard. An explosion propelled Jack almost the edge of the mountain, tumbling down from the stones of the mountain, to the blue rocks of the mountain's slope. Jack then lay down in the snow, victorious in single combat, but still in constant war with his circumstances, and still at no end with his quest. A greater shattering noise was heard during the explosion however. Jack paid no attention to it. He was unconscious in several feet of snow. When he stood up to inspect himself he let out the loudest wail of disappointment ever heard. He took a deep breath, upon realizing that his quest was indeed ongoing and then searched for his sword. It is here that he realized the source of the shattering noise he heard earlier. It was here that he let out the loudest wail known to man, for it was here that he realized that sword that was bequeathed to him from his father, the only weapon ever forged from pure light, the only weapon capable of destroying Aku, the only weapon capable of completing his quest, lay at his feet in pieces. The cataclysmic explosion of the destruction of the gem, lead to the destruction of all ingredients necessary to unearth it, including the sword. Jack sobbed uncontrollably. He was incomplete without his sword. The sword was a part of him. He was lost without the sword. For what is a samurai without a sword? Kneeling at the hilt of the shattered blade a tear frozen on his cheek he held the hilt which still bore a single fraction of the blade, but even that part was cracked and fell off as soon as he lifted what was left of the sword. The sword was broken and so was he. He looked around, looking for anyone or anything that could help him, and upon realizing his absolute solitude, he lowered his head, closed his eyes, and proceeded to cry in the knowledge that his quest has indeed ended.

Suddenly, a warping sound was heard. It sounded like waves crashing onto a rock, but in some form of bent reality where the sound was more static than natural. That combined with the thunder resultant from a lightning strike against a rod. Jack looked up expecting to see a light, but all he saw was a pool of molten black. It looked like a sick acid was bubbling up from the ground, an acid of tar and filth, but in reality there was no acid for he was atop a mountain. Jack looked in awe as the acid like substance proceeded to take form. The blackness covered the corpse of the marauder who destroyed the gem, and it covered the corpse of the seer, but when the acid took form the seer was gone. The shape grew taller, and taller, until in consumed the length of the archway leading into the hall. It was several times taller than Jack, and its shape was growing more insidious and slender. When Jack finally realized what was occurring his jaw dropped. 'It cannot be…'

'Yes, Samurai, it can be!'

'Aku!'

Aku laughed his yawning laugh that echoed through the clouds

'Foolish Samurai, so naïve, so simple, that he entrusted his blade to an old seer!' he laughed

'You trusting nature has consumed your prospects, and now your precious little sword is no more! And now you are no more significant than your worthless father.

Jack screamed in rage and threw a piece of his sword at the demon, then another and another, but the demon shape shifted so quickly that the none of the swords met their mark, and each broke into a thousand more shards as they landed on the stone.

Jack knelt in defeat, disgruntled and bitter. Aku mockingly lowered himself to face the samurai

'Your fate was always sealed, for no man can match the might of the shogun of sorrow! You were always so blinded by your foolishness, that now you finally see that Aku is truly the master of this world and you are merely an unwelcomed guest.'

Jack twitched as his fist shook in position.

'But this is not how you must die. You must be made an example of, at a time and place of my choosing.' Aku grabbed the samurai, spiraled through the air and he then vanished into nothingness, the samurai simply complicit in all he did, accepting his crushing defeat. After their departure, snow continued to howl over the mountain as it always did.

The traffic stretched across the sky of Aku City. It was a normal day, with people going to and from their work. Some were late, others were early, and a few called in sick. Some were travelling others were already working, all under the watchful gaze of their omnipotent leader. His face was on each television screen. His likeness in every building. Suddenly, the sky was filled with the leader himself. Traffic came to complete halt as people began recording this incredible feat. Work was halted as jaws and eyelids dropped in disbelief.

'Greetings loyal citizens!' Aku said. 'For many years we have together embarked on an epic quest. A quest of peacekeeping and restoration. For you see, we have had an arch nemesis running amok, destroying our property and increasing your taxes. Today, I announce that this threat has been neutralized. In the very palm of my hand I hold the Samurai himself!'

Aku raised his fist containing the defeated Samurai. His eyes were closed. His body scarred. His face in complete despair and expressing total surrender. His arms were motionless. He was accepting of his fate. 'Forgive me father, I have failed you.' He repeated in his mind.

As Aku rejoiced in his victory a horn was sounded. A group of around three hundred men lead a much larger group consisting of the dogs he had saved, Professor X-Tor and his improved Assassin Drones now designed to fight Aku, The Astronauts and the droids they have created for the sole purpose of fighting Aku, The woolies, the apes, even the Scotsman. It would appear that these have united after Jack helped the Spartans destroy their arch nemesis for the sole purpose of aiding Jack on his impossible quest. Though they were prepared, they were not entirely ready, but upon seeing the circumstance Jack was in, a move was necessary then and there. First the drones fired upon the demon from the top of the towers. Then the Scotsman attacked the demon with his magic sword from below. The apes dangled from Aku's horns. The Spartans hurled spears at the demon. The woollies provided the Spartans with a heavy cavalry mechanism, carrying the Astronaut's droids on their backs and the Spartans on some of their brethren's backs, while using their strength against the demon. But all this was not enough to even bruise Aku. Aku was immune to all this. He simply laughed.

'Fools! Aku is beyond your petty attempts. Now that the sword is no more, I am truly invincible! Now, Samurai, witness what you have brought upon your friends!'

Aku erected a giant black tower and crucified Jack onto it. Aku then proceeded to destroy all of Jack's allies. First was the Scotsman whose sword has done nothing to harm the demon. Aku breathed fire against him, killing him instantly. Then came the woolies. Aku swiftly smacked them away like flies, effectively negating the Spartans cavalry force, and the astronaut's droids. Then came the assassin droids atop the towers. Aku knocked down the heads of each of the towers, killing all those residing on those floors and utterly crushing the droids. Aku then shapeshifted into a ram, and gutted each of the apes so viciously that the streets ran with their blood. Finally, the Spartans. They were the last of the force. Their will is the only will know to man more powerful than Jack's. They valiantly stood their ground as Aku laser beamed them with his eyes, all but evaporating them. All that was left of them was ash. The remainder of the resistence was in flight, but Aku would not have survivors that might regroup, nor would he grant any of them as swift a death as the Spartans. Instead he shapeshifted into tiger and ran each of them down tearing them limb from limb. All Jack could do was watch in horror atop the spire that imprisoned him by his hands and feet. He cried in agony and sympathy over the loss of his fallen comrades.

Then the demon turned his attention to Jack, and proceeded to torture him. The crucified warrior groaned in immense agony. His screams, however, were drowned amongst those of his fallen comrades. Aku clawed away at his chest, zapped his body, and burned his flesh. Finally, the Samurai was poised to greet death. His body was sapped of all strength, he had lost the desire to even stand, but his will, this man's will was beyond the will of an ordinary man. Aku, then, decided to use this still in use corpse as an example. He grabbed the Samurai and raised him above his head, squeezing the life out of him. 'Behold, citizens of Aku! Behold the one man who symbolized defiance, opposition, dissent, and corruption in this world of mine! Behold where his foolishness has brought him. Any man who even think of imitating his actions shall suffer the same fate!' Aku's laughter howled through the skies as he threw the Samurai onto the ground. His body smacked several buildings before it dragged on the ground.

The Samurai was in tatters. It looked like Aku had played football with him as the ball, as if he played Golf and Jack was the ball! His eyes blackened. His skin burnt. His nose broken. His Mouth missing several teeth. His mouth ripped. His body scared beyond recognition. His back carved. His legs decimated. His arms nearly destroyed. His chest crooked. His shoulders uneven. His robe was gone. His sandals were gone. He stood practically naked, bleeding to death from all pores and orfaces. Aku wanted him to suffer, to have a slow and painful death. 'Now, citizens of Aku, watch as even if the Samurai was granted a weapon, watch as how he is no match for the power of Aku!' Aku spawned a cheap bronze short sword. It was more of a knife than a sword, better put to use by preparing dinner, rather than combat. Jack did not care for the sword. He was comfortable dying where he lay. 'Fight me Samurai! Stand and fight!' commanded Aku, and the Samurai, having nothing to lose but his honor stood one final time. He used the Sword to balance himself that he may stand, and then finally drew if for combat ever so sluggishly. Aku shapeshifted in to human form, though he was a gargantuan of a man. Eight feet all, muscular, and superior to Jack in all things effective combat required. He had the youth of a thirty three year old, younger than Jack. He had a reach that surpassed eighty inches, allowing him to punch from a distance and avoid being punched, and this logic also applied to slashing with a sword. He weigh three hundred and twenty seven pounds, preventing Jack from even attempting to grapple him. He was the superior fighter, whereas Jack was a broken man ready to die. Both combatants stood in the streets of the city, with onlookers relentlessly staring from balconies, windows, and television stations. Aku had the first move. He struck the samurai powerfully, but the samurai raised his 'sword' blocking the attack. Aku shrugged it off, and attacked from below, the Samurai sluggishly blocked that too. Aku attacked from above, and the samurai deflected it that too, though the exhaustion and pain were visible on the samurai's face. Instincts, it would seem, are hard to defeat. Fed up, Aku kicked the samurai, lowering his guard, and struck him with a flurry of attacks. Jack was finished. He thought he had died. He lost consciousness as his body lay motionless on the ground. Aku prepared to deliver the final blow as he thrust his sword forth, it was then that the Samurai saw a white figure before him.

'Have you come for me?' asked the Samurai

'Yes.'

'You are death?'

'Now is not the hour we are to meet. I do, however, carry a message from the dead.'

The figure changed into a familiar shape

'My son.'

'Father!?'

'Yes my son.'

'Forgive me father. I did not intend to fail you.'

'You have not failed, my son, you have merely lost your way.'

'But the sword!? You trusted me with our family's weapon, and I have failed to preserve it.'

'The sword is irrelevant, my son.'

'What!?'

'What is a sword? Is it not a collection of steel hammered and sharpened for war?'

'Yes, but _ours _is no ordinary sword! It is a magic sword, a holy artifact, the only purity that can purge evil!'

'No. It is but a sword, just as the sword in your hand is but a sword. In the hands of another man, what you wield is a knife unfit for battle, but in the hands of a warrior, it is a sword fit for the greatest of wars.'

'But Aku is impervious to all but the sword!'

'No, my son, Aku is darkness, and what purges darkness. Light. The light within the souls of righteous men. It was never the sword my son, it was you.'

The figure faded away as his words echoed through the Samurai's ears. When he regained consciousness he opened his eyes wide expecting to see the figure, instead he saw the blinding light of a sword coming down to cut him open, so he quickly rolled away and drew his sword.

'I see you fight, yet Samurai.'

'You may slaughter my kin, you may destroy my sword, you may break my bones, regardless of what you try to stop me, I will never give up, I will return to the past and destroy you.'

Aku frowned as he attacked the Samurai, but the Samurai quickly countered his attack, and delivered one of his own just beneath the demon's armpit. Suddenly, Aku shrieked in pain.

'HOW!? HOW!?' he asked fiercely and fearfully

'I had attributed my strength to my sword, Aku, just as you have. But now I realize that a sword is nothing but steel fashioned into a blade resting upon a hilt. In the hands of he who is unfit to wield it, it is nothing. In the hands of Samurai, it is everything.'

Jack jumped up and began fierce fully striking away at the monster, Aku shrieked and moaned in agony as the television feed was cut off. Jack leapt up into the air and sliced the demon's horns off, forcing him to shapeshift into a snake. The snake then snapped at Jack, but Jack evaded all of its attempts. It attempt to squeeze Jack, constrict him, but as it tried to do so, Jack jumped up and landed where the snake was most condensed with his blade rather than his feet, painfully splitting it into two. Aku then was forced to shape shift into a bird. The Samurai threw his sword at him, taking off a wing, but allowing Aku to escape as a small pussy. Jack had won the fight.

'I will get you Samurai!' said the cat as it fled from the battle.

The Samurai sheathed his sword, looked around at the masses then looked at his scarred body. Examined his status, he heavily exhaled as he marched north. Rumor has it that a time portal can be found in the northern regions, and so the quest continued.


End file.
